wood screws

I like dry wall screws, particularly the course threaded screws. Dry
wall screws are no good for exterior use, but are fine for indoor use
because they are case hardened so the heads never strip out. They are
also cheap and readily available.

I like Phillips because they are the most common screw type and they
work good enough, particularly in drywall screws because the heads never
strip out. I have square head Robinson screws which work fine, but you
end up constantly changing bits. For that reason I like Phillips, and
my Swiss Army knife has Phillips and slotted but no Robertson. I've
fixed everything from pool tables to deck chairs with my knife, but not
when funky screw heads are used...

I, like you, have used them for years. I don't recall a failure, ever,
other than using them outdoors. They last about a year out doors, and
indoors they simply work fine. Outdoors, SS is the only way to go,
indoors, SS is a waste of money. Drywall screws don't rust in Oak
unless in a wet environment, then everything other than brass and SS
rust, regardless of wood type. Of course, like everything, there are
Drywall screws and then there are drywall screws. They are not all the same.

I like dry wall screws, particularly the course threaded screws. Dry
wall screws are no good for exterior use, but are fine for indoor use
because they are case hardened so the heads never strip out. They are
also cheap and readily available.

I like Phillips because they are the most common screw type and they
work good enough, particularly in drywall screws because the heads never
strip out. I have square head Robinson screws which work fine, but you
end up constantly changing bits. For that reason I like Phillips, and
my Swiss Army knife has Phillips and slotted but no Robertson. I've
fixed everything from pool tables to deck chairs with my knife, but not
when funky screw heads are used...

I, like you, have used them for years. I don't recall a failure, ever,
other than using them outdoors. They last about a year out doors, and
indoors they simply work fine. Outdoors, SS is the only way to go,
indoors, SS is a waste of money. Drywall screws don't rust in Oak
unless in a wet environment, then everything other than brass and SS
rust, regardless of wood type. Of course, like everything, there are
Drywall screws and then there are drywall screws. They are not all the same.
===============
Square Head and Robertson are two different heads that people confuse.
Robertson heads have a tapered recess with a Morse taper that self-locks
onto the bit. The Phillips look-a-like square head does not. Robertson has
no numbers, but rather colors, to identify sizes.

I didn't know that, but regardless, my Swiss army knife doesn't have
that driver type, so when I'm sitting on Susie's deck and one of the
deck chairs a square head guy made her has a loose screw, my Swiss army
knife can't do much about it, so I prefer Phillips screws, but only for
reasons of consistency and commonality and they work good enough for me.

I didn't know that, but regardless, my Swiss army knife doesn't have
that driver type, so when I'm sitting on Susie's deck and one of the
deck chairs a square head guy made her has a loose screw, my Swiss army
knife can't do much about it, so I prefer Phillips screws, but only for
reasons of consistency and commonality and they work good enough for me.
===================Philips screw heads were designed to eliminate overtorquing them by ensuring
the tip of the screwdriver ramps out of the slot and effectively stripping
the heads of the screw, as a side effect. They suck and have been replaced
by popular demand by many wanting a better system.
But have a look at this! Just when you thought you had seen it all!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives

Don't know if you're pulling legs, but...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives
Phillips Head:
"Created by Henry F. Phillips, the Phillips screw drive was purposely
designed to cam out when the screw stalled, to prevent the fastener
damaging the work or the head, instead damaging the driver. This was
caused by the relative difficulty in building torque limiting into the
early drivers."
If you want to be able to break the head, use a Posidriv (also invented by
Phillips). ;-)
(later)
"Phillips drivers have an intentional angle on the flanks and rounded
corners so they will cam out of the slot before a power tool will twist
off the screw head. The Pozidriv screws and drivers have straight
sided flanks."

1st. Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source in the world. It's
barely a step up from all of us in this newsgroup spouting off our
opinions, old wives tales, and stuff we heard a guy tell us that his
brother-in-laws' buddy's dad told him. (However, for the sake of this
discussion, I will stipulate that this page is 100% accurate.)
2nd. It's the "effectively stripping the heads of the screw, as a side
effect" editorial that clogged my BS filter. An object being designed
to "cam out" is completely different from "stripping the heads."

I explained that in my earlier post. I have some friends in here. I
enjoy the interaction. When I want info from experienced woodworkers, I
know who the 4 or 5 guys are who know what their talking about and who
constitutes the noise.

True, but if you don't like any information you get here, or the web,
exactly
why is it that you waste your time here? If it's 100% accurate, exactly
what
is your beef?

Well, camming out of a Phillips driver has been pretty effective at
stripping
the heads for me. Works when dumb techs try Phillips drivers with Pozidriv
screws, too. ;-)
--------------------------
Mike gets bored easily and like to troll here under this name. Elsewhere he
uses other names.
Don't feed it.
mike

write anything in here I wouldn't say to someone's face. How about you?
To me, this is a bunch of buddies, sitting on a porch, having a beer,
giving each other some crap and laughing about it, and occasionally some
good info changes hands. :-)
I'll be waiting for any proof from you about your accusations.
Until then, kindly STFU.

Might bolster your discussion if you present an example where the
camming out of the driver is an integral part of use ~ such as drywall
screws for example where the head of the screw is slightly counter
sunk but not so deep that it has driven itself right through the
drywall.

Case hardened drywall screws don't end up with a buggered up heads.
With minimum effort, a quality Phillips head screw works just fine for
99% of wood shop needs. The advantages of other types of heads is
mitigated by the fact Swiss army knives come with Phillips head drivers,
and Aunt Bessy has a Phillips head screwdriver in her kitchen junk
drawer, and she has no clue what a hexalobular socket head, or a
Robertson is, let alone have a means to attack it. Since Phillips works
good enough with few problems, it is the screw of choice... In my shop.

Honest, I don't recall ever breaking a shank on a drywall screw. I have
(rarely) broken shanks on regular screws, never (that I remember) on a
drywall screw. No reason to lie, just my personal experience. I abuse
the hell out of them too, because I know the head won't strip. I'm more
careful with plain screws where I know I can strip out the head w/o much
effort.

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